Final Reaction
by Tobu Ishi
Summary: Momiji's been acting odd lately. Sleeping in, having coughing fits...what looks like a cold may be something far more dangerous, even life-threatening. And for the first time in his life, Kusanagi is really unable to protect her... (Fic 100 for BS!)
1. part 1

Final Reaction  
A Blue Seed Fic by Tobu Ishi  
  
Of course I don't own Blue Seed, you foolish copyright enforcer.  
  
-part 1-  
  
  
Thump! Whish... Thump! Whishhhh... Thump! Whishhhhhhh... Thump!  
  
Mamoru Kusanagi couldn't help grinning, reveling as he was in the feeling of the wind rushing through his hair. Pushing double-footed off the next roof in his path with another hollow thump, he soared through the air, his trench coat snapping behind him.  
  
If there was one truly cool perk to being part Arigami, it was the jumping thing.  
  
Clearing a small Shinto shrine in a single bound, he ran along the flat roof of an office building and straight out into thin air, falling...then landed in a crouch among the green evening shadows of Mr. Kunikida's garden. Cat-slit eyes glanced up at the second-floor gable window above him, lit from within. It didn't take much juice to leap the distance to the windowsill; he'd done it a thousand times before. Blinking in the light that streamed from the panes, he raised a fist and rapped on the glass...  
  
All stayed quiet on the Momiji front. Frowning, Kusanagi knocked again, harder. No response. With a shrug, he levered up the window frame and slipped inside. Maybe she was downstairs getting a snack.  
  
"Momiji? Are you still here?"  
  
The house was silent, but a light was on in the hall. As he stepped out into the hallway, a soft sound caught his ear, and he turned to his left, spotting a door ajar.  
  
Before he could go toward it, the door swung open, and a tousled-looking Momiji walked out, a near-empty box of tissues under her arm. Her eyes widened at the sight of him, and she broke into a fit of coughing.  
  
"Ku-koffkoff-sanagi!" she spluttered, grabbing a tissue and holding it over her mouth. The coughing stopped, and she wiped her eyes and looked up, meeting his gaze. "What are you doing here?"  
  
"Kunikida sent me to tell you he'll be late coming home," the former Aragami servant said, frowning at the girl's bleary appearance. He'd seen her just a few hours before, on her way home from the TAC meeting that had run late, keeping her surrogate father at the center. She'd begged off on account of a cold; by any appearance, it was getting worse... "Are you okay? You don't look so good."  
  
Momiji shrugged. "My sinuses are a little stuffed up, but I'm fine-" Another series of coughs cut off her voice for a few long second, then faded. "Really," she continued. "I'll be right as rain by tomorrow, once I've had some sleep."  
  
"Are you sure?" Kusanagi couldn't help the disbelieving tone of his voice; far from fine, Momiji looked like she needed a week of sleep. Had she seemed that bad off when she'd left the TAC? He couldn't remember, but it didn't seem likely...if she had, Kunikida would have seen her home, no question.  
  
She flashed him a smile that was sunny despite her tired appearance. "Trust me, Kusanagi. I'll see you at the meeting tomorrow, ne?"  
  
Kusanagi knew a dismissal when he heard one...but something still wasn't hitting him right. He sighed, spreading his hands in defeat. "All right, but I think I'll walk you there, okay? I want to make sure you're up for it."  
  
The girl rolled her eyes, but nodded. "Fine, fine. You know, Kusanagi, the title of "Mamoru" doesn't have to extend to a silly head cold."  
  
"I know," he agreed, turning to head back into her room. "I just figure, better safe than sorry. Later!"  
  
With that, he sprang out the window and into the gathering night. Momiji ran to the window, waving out at him as he vanished between the rooftops.  
  
"Good night, Kusa-"  
  
Her voice broke off into another fit of coughing. Gasping for breath, Momiji braced herself against the windowsill, covering her mouth with her hands as her body heaved. Finally, the spasm ended, and she lowered her hands, breathing thickly. Her hands felt damp; puzzled, she glanced at them.  
  
A dribble of greenish liquid spattered her fingers...  
  
Momiji hesitated, then wiped it away on her last tissue, wadding it up and hiding it deep in her wastebasket. She hurried to the bathroom and looked into the mirror; more of the greenish stuff colored the corners of her mouth.  
  
"I...it's nothing," she whispered, staring at her pale reflection. "Just a cold, that's all. I'd better get to bed."  
  
Briskly rinsing her face clean, she started back toward her bedroom, then doubled back for another box of tissues...just in case.  
  
  
  
The next morning when Kusanagi reached Momiji's room, she was curled up in bed...fully clothed. Shoving the window open, he ducked inside, hurrying over to shake her awake.  
  
"Momiji?"  
  
Her eyes blinked open, and he winced at how exhausted they looked.  
  
"Oh...Kusanagi," she murmured. "Did I fall asleep? I was so tired, and I thought I'd lie down for a minute after I finished getting ready..."  
  
A frown darkened the young man's face. "It's almost ten. Are you really that tired?"  
  
Sitting up with a hand to her head, Momiji sighed. "I..." Her voice trailed off, and a stricken look passed over her face, which had gone slightly green.  
  
"Hey, are you-" Kusanagi didn't get any further before the girl suddenly lurched to her feet and rushed out of the room, nearly hitting the doorframe as she went past. Following her out into the hall, Kusanagi heard the sound of miserable retching coming from the bathroom. He groaned and went inside.  
  
True enough, Momiji was kneeling in front of the porcelain altar, getting rid of her breakfast in spectacular fashion. Shaking his head, Kusanagi went to stand behind her, gently gathering her loose hair out of her way and holding it for her as she finished. When her stomach had nothing left in it, Momiji sat up, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand and looking profoundly embarrassed.  
  
"I...I'm sorry..." she whispered, the red blush coloring her cheeks looking stark against her pale face. "I didn't mean..."  
  
"Shh," Kusanagi said, kneeling next to her and handing her a glass of water, which he'd filled at the sink. "It's not your fault that you're sick. Here, I'll get you back to bed."  
  
"Bed?" Momiji stopped rinsing out her mouth to stare at him in dismay. "No way! I have to go to the meeting, Yagashi has a new weapon he wants to showcase and he needs my help-" She tried to struggle to her feet, but halfway up the room swam around her and she nearly fell, quickly sitting down again.  
  
"Koume can help him with anything he needs," Kusanagi admonished her, taking the glass from her shaking fingers and standing to set it on the counter. "Besides, she loves anything that maims. She'll be happy to lend a trigger-finger. You, on the other hand, are going to sleep, and I mean now." With that, he reached down and picked her up, cradling her as lightly as a baby and ignoring all protests as he bore her stolidly back to her room, depositing her on the bed.  
  
"But-"  
  
"No buts," he interrupted, helping her out of her jacket. "Even if I didn't give a flying flip about your health, Kunikida would kill me if I let you go out like this. If you really want me dead, there are kinder ways," he teased.  
  
A weak smile curved Momiji's lips. "I guess you're right," she said, lying back on her pillows. "I'd better stay. Maybe I'll feel better tomorrow." After punctuating that sentence with a spectacular sneeze, she scowled and pulled her blankets up to her chin, turning to face the wall. "I don't know where I picked this bug up, but I wish it would go away already!" she wailed.  
  
Kusanagi shook his head. "I know," he agreed, sitting beside her and smoothing her hair. "Being sick really bites, but I'm sure you'll...hey..." Frowning, he bent closer, parting her hair and giving it a long stare. "Weird..."  
  
"What?" Momiji asked, rolling over to face him.  
  
He was still staring. "Have you...done anything funny to your hair recently?"  
  
"Well...I used a new shampoo the other day, but that's it, I think. Why?"  
  
"You've got green roots."  
  
"What?!" Momiji yelped, reaching up to finger her sleep-mussed tresses. "You're kidding me, right?"  
  
"Nope," Kusanagi said. "That must have been some shampoo..."  
  
A scowl darkened Momiji's face. "Koume gave it to me," she muttered. "I bet it's some sort of prank..." Her voice trailed off into several rattling coughs. Grimacing, Momiji fell back on her pillows with a sigh. "Will you yell at her for me, or something? I have to get to sleep." Glancing up at Kusanagi, she gave him a pleading look. "Oh, and please don't tell Mr. Kunikida, he'll just worry about me...you know how he is."  
  
Kusanagi grinned. "Right. Well, I'd better let you sleep. Get well soon, okay?"  
  
"Okay," Momiji said, her voice muffled by her blankets. "Bye, Kusanagi..."  
  
It was only when he was halfway down the block that Kusanagi felt a shiver of uncertainty. "That was way too easy," he muttered, frowning. Momiji normally did not just give up on a subject like that...was it the cold mellowing her stubbornness, or was something else going on?  
  
"Or do I just worry too much?" he muttered, jumping extra high to clear a tree. "Maybe Momiji's right; the title of Mamoru shouldn't extend to a stupid cold..." Shaking his head, Kusanagi resolved to lighten up a little about non-Arigami issues...  
  
...and back in her room, Momiji dropped off into restless sleep. 


	2. part 2

Final Reaction  
A Blue Seed Fic by Tobu Ishi  
  
Of course I don't own Blue Seed, you foolish copyright enforcer.  
  
-part 2-  
  
  
"...and although we had some difficulty reprogramming the vectors, we think we've got it down now."  
  
Scratching her nose, Koume gave the long-winded tech a bored look. "Look, Yagashi, all I want to know is two things: does this contraption of yours blow up Arigami, and is it nice and messy about it?"  
  
"Er...ah...yes, I believe the, erm, messiness factor should be high," Yagashi said, stuttering a bit. Koume's frank preference for mayhem over method tended to fluster him somewhat... "You see, we've gotten some complaints about the difficulty of cleaning up large quantities of deceased tissue from the sites of our exterminations, so Matsudera and I have come up with a solution to the problem. This new weapon should not only stop the Arigami, but also break down their bodies into their most basic elements. In the case of the simple creatures they tend to infest, this should leave us with nothing but carbon dioxide and a whole lot of water, as well as a few simple sugars."  
  
"Wonderful," Ms. Takeuchi exclaimed, clapping her hands together. At the odd looks the rest of the team gave her, she grinned sheepishly. "Well, hey, I'm the one who gets stuck fielding calls from angry citizens with dead things in their backyards, you know."  
  
"Riight," Koume muttered. "So, does anything go boom during this whole sugar-water thing, or what?"  
  
Matsudera cleared her throat. "Sorry, Koume, but we won't know that until we field-test it. And to do that, we'll need a live Arigami."  
  
Nodding to her, Yagashi continued: "Unfortunately, we have no idea when one may next-"  
  
The phone rang, cutting him off. Reaching over, Ms. Takeuchi hit the button for the speaker mode.  
  
"Hello, this is the Terrestrial Administration Center," she chirped.  
  
The room immediately filled with the sounds of screaming crowds and crashes, filtering tinnily through the phone.  
  
"-appear," Yagashi gulped.  
  
"Help! Help!! It's a monster, I tell you, a monster!! I-" The unfamiliar male voice cut off mid-word, erupting into a gurgling scream before the whole connection ended with a crash of rending metal.  
  
For a long moment, there was silence in the office. Then, Mr. Kunikida came bursting in, his face all business.  
  
"Everyone! There's just been a report on the news-an Aragami resembling an enormous shrub of some sort has attacked the Shibuya district! We're moving out, pronto!"  
  
"Uh, sir?" Takeuchi asked uncertainly. "Didn't you say you were just going to get some gummi bears from the break room? What were you doing watching the television?"  
  
Kunikida gave a guilty start. "Um, I was just, ah-"  
  
"Who cares?!" Koume yelled, slamming a fist into her palm with relish and (luckily) cutting off any Kunikida-isms at the source. "Arigami, here I come! Kiss your flowery butts goodbye!"  
  
"Oh, dear..." Yagashi muttered. "Here we go again..."  
  
  
  
Yoyogi Park was normally a cheerful place, just off the bustling teen shopping centers of Takeshita Street. However, as Kusanagi woke from a late sleep in the treetops nearby, it was the sound of terrified screaming that shook him out of his dreams.  
  
"Wh...what the...?" he muttered, rubbing drowsiness out of his eyes...  
  
A young man ran past below him, flailing his arms in a wild panic.  
  
"Help! Monster!!"  
  
*That* woke him up. "Monster?" Kusanagi said, sitting bolt upright-  
  
And it was at that opportune moment that a hefty vine-arm slammed into the tree he had chosen for a bed the night before, sending it flying in a shower of splinters.  
  
As the dust cleared, a single figure became visible, perched on the striped awning of a bakery nearby. Kusanagi's scarlet trench coat contrasted sharply with the green-and-yellow-striped fabric of the awning as he grinned up at the beast above him. "Too slow, huh?" he sneered. "I should have learned by now never to expect a challenge from a weed."  
  
The Aragami-for what else could it be-let out a peculiar hiss, waving its long, flexible limbs in the air. Today's variety was plantlike, with a body like a tangle of pale-green, whippy vines, studded with hand-sized thorns. As Kusanagi watched, a large, red-veined bud emerged from the center of the tangle, bursting into flower with a roar to reveal luxurious petals edged with vicious-looking teeth. The head turned to focus on him, and the roots that had sunk deep into cracks in the pavement flexed once...  
  
A dozen fresh shoots erupted from the sides of the thing, reaching out for the unmoving mutant.  
  
Kusanagi snorted contemptuously, dodging the vines with ease. As he leaped high into the air to avoid the plant's embrace, blades ripped from his forearms, extending into battle position. "You think you're tough?" he sneered, landing one-footed on a lamppost with the ease of a bird of prey. "Well, there's one thing every Aragami who fights me learns-if you're trying to kill Mamoru Kusanagi, either do it quick or just give up before you start!!"  
  
With that, he leapt straight up, powering into the thick of the Aragami tangle. His blades flashed once, twice, and huge chunks of plant matter fell away, crashing into the street below. The Aragami howled and lashed out, striking the mutant in the unprepared split second after his attacks and knocking him to the pavement.  
  
"Ow..." Kusanagi muttered, reaching up to wipe a trickle of pale green blood from his lip. He scowled. "I can't believe I let a jumped-up garden weed hit me...I must be losing it or something."  
  
"Actually, from the looks of the mutation, this is no weed, but a very rare specimen of English tea rose." Surging to his feet, Kusanagi spun to see the members of the TAC standing behind him, gazing up at the 'rose'.  
  
"Hey! When did you get here?!" he bellowed.  
  
Matsudera was nodding at Yagashi, apparently agreeing with him. "I think you're right, Yagashi. Really, I'm quite impressed that anyone was able to cultivate one of these in Tokyo. They generally don't thrive in this climate."  
  
"Well, this one seems to be doing just fine!" Koume shouted, shoving ammo into the various firearms strapped to her body. A battle-happy grin lit her face as she took aim with her favorite 'baby', the tried-and-true rocket launcher. "What say we give it a little pruning, huh?!" With that, she fired off a salvo at the writhing plant, which squealed with pain as the rockets impacted with it.  
  
"Good shot, Sawaguchi!" Kunikida commended her. He reached for his own gun. "Takeuchi, give us a hand here-we can try and contain it while Yagashi and Matsudera get their liquefier revved up!"  
  
"Right!" Takeuchi agreed, opening fire on the howling rosebush.  
  
Kusanagi snorted. "What, don't you want my help?" Without waiting for an answer, he sprang into the air, lunging toward the beast. "There's no way I'd miss out on this fun!"  
  
Shredded plant matter filled the air...  
  
________________________________________________  
  
AN- Yay! You reviewed! I was beginning to get worried, but it just took a little longer than I thought--y'all came through when it counted. I'm sorry it's taken so long; my computer is down, possibly for good, and I have to work on this at my job during breaks. I hope you like the story so far--and be warned, it's only going to get more dramatic. T_~* Anywayz, don't forget to review, or I shan't put up any more and you'll all be stranded! Mwahaha...I'm so evil sometimes. -Tobu Ishi T_T 


	3. part 3

Final Reaction  
A Blue Seed Fic by Tobu Ishi  
  
Of course I don't own Blue Seed, you foolish copyright enforcer. Also, if the quotation marks in this show up as rectangles, please blame my Notepad program, not moi. Arigatou!  
  
-part 3-  
  
*koffkoffhack...*  
  
Grimacing, Momiji reached for another tissue to add the heap in her wastebasket. The sneezing had stopped sometime overnight, but her cough had settled deep into her chest, making her breath rattle thickly every time she inhaled...and she kept coughing up more of that awful green stuff. Worse, her temperature wouldn't stop shooting up and down the scale. One second she was shivering, the next she was baking to a crisp...  
  
"Maybe I should call Mr. Kunikida after all," she wheezed, tossing the used tissue away in disgust. "Kusanagi was right...this is no cold. Maybe some Tylenol would help...?" Getting unsteadily to her feet, she started for the door-  
  
-And nearly tripped over something on the floor. Across the room, the television came to life with a discordant squawk; Momiji let out a hoarse yelp of surprise and lost her balance, sitting down hard on the carpet.  
  
"What the...?" she murmured, reaching for the thing she'd stepped on. It was the TV remote, of course. With a groan, she started to reach for the off button...  
  
"...witnesses are claiming this is another attack by the so-called Aragami..."  
  
"Aragami?" Momiji whispered, staring at the screen, which was filled with shots of screaming civilians, fleeing down the streets of what looked like the Shibuya district...except, the Shibuya district wasn't normally filled with masses of thorny vines...  
  
"...and while a team of governmental defenders has arrived on the scene, can this handful of operatives really handle themselves against a monster of this size and strength? More live disaster footage coming up, here on the News at Noon!" Behind the bespectacled announcer, a closeup shot of the battle showed a young man in a red trench coat attacking the monster with a flying leap, only to be slammed viciously into the ground...  
  
Momiji's face couldn't have gotten any paler; still, her stomach went cold.  
  
"Kusanagi," she whispered, and stumbled to her feet. "Kusanagi!!"  
  
Before she could think twice, Momiji bolted down the stairs, pulling on her jacket with clumsy fingers. It didn't matter if she felt a little under the weather-her friends needed her! They couldn't do this without her, they just couldn't-  
  
A spasm of coughing forced her to a stop, leaning against the wall in the entry hall, her eyes squeezed shut as she fought for breath. Forcing air into her lungs, Momiji stood again, shoving her feet into her shoes and bolting out the door.  
  
"I have to hurry," she half-gasped as she ran, her eyes focused firmly on her goal. "Kusanagi's always there for me...and now he needs me...  
  
"I have to be there for him!"  
  
  
  
Despite all its efforts, the rosebush Aragami shrank under the combined attacks of the TAC. Takeuchi and Kunikida's handguns weren't doing much, but between Koume and Kusanagi, they had the creature pretty well pinned down.  
  
"We've almost got it!" Yaegashi cried, connecting leads like a madman.   
  
Matsudera slid a cartridge of viscous-looking purple liquid into a slot in their machine, snapping it in place. "Right, that's it! All she needs is to be plugged in!"  
  
Landing next to them, Kusanagi stared at the tiny contraption, which was hardly the size of both his fists put together. A long needle extended from one end.  
  
"That's it?" he said, incredulous. "That's gonna wipe this thing out?"  
  
"You've got it," Yaegashi agreed. "Mind sticking her in the Aragami for us? You're the fastest person here..."  
  
Kusanagi grinned. "I guess you TAC folks still need me to do your dirty work, huh?" he said, snatching up the device. "Well, if you insist, I suppose-"  
  
It was a sentence not destined to be finished. Looking up, Kusanagi's field of vision was filled with a single color: green. Before he could react, the vine struck him square in the center of mass, bunting him halfway down the street. The tiny device flew from his hand, clattering across the sidewalk and coming to rest under a parked car several blocks from any member of the TAC.  
  
For a split second, all five operatives froze, stunned that the teenaged mutant had been caught so off-guard...and their hesitation was all the opening that the Aragami needed. Tendrils lashed out in every direction; the standing TAC members were nimble enough to jump out of the way, but Yagashi and Matsudera were still kneeling by their tool cases. Both of them went flying, much the same way that Kusanagi had a moment before. Matsudera hit the street and bounced twice before coming to a stop; Yaegashi's inadvertent attempt at flight was cut abruptly short by the trunk of a large tree, and he slid bonelessly to the ground, lying motionless among its roots...  
  
"Oh, no," Kunikida groaned. "Matsudera!"  
  
"Yaegashi!!" Koume's pretty face twisted into a mask of rage unlike anything she'd shown before in battle, as she whirled to face down the monster, whose inhuman hisses sounded almost smug. "All right, you stupid plant! You wanna play rough?!" she bellowed, yanking her rocket launcher into place on her shoulder. "You got it!!" Cocking the trigger with a sharp yank, she prepared to fire-  
  
From where he sat up dazedly, one hand pressed to his forehead, Kusanagi thought for a moment that the slender figure sprinting down the street toward him was a figment of his battle-fogged brain... Suddenly, the loosely-tied ponytail and red-trimmed jacket clicked into place, and his eyes went wide with recognition...and alarm.  
  
"M...Momiji?!"  
  
Kusanagi's cry of shock reached Koume's ears, and she hesitated, glancing past the writhing stems of her adversary...but she was not the only one who'd heard. Instantly, a hundred razor-tipped stems spun loose from the rest of the Aragami like a cloth unraveling, shooting down the street toward the oncoming Kushinada...  
  
Kusanagi tried to leap to his feet, but his body wouldn't obey him...  
  
And Momiji stopped, her feet set firmly on the ground, her jaw set with determination, and held out a hand as if possessed with some overconfident madness...  
  
"Stop!" she cried.  
  
And to the amazement of everyone present...the tendrils froze.  
  
They simply hovered in midair inches from Momiji's fingertips, trembling slightly, as if frightened...or fighting an unseen force.  
  
"Impossible..." Takeuchi whispered, her eyes wide behind her low-hung bangs.  
  
Momiji's face had tensed, as if she was struggling to support a heavy load. "Go!" she gasped, jerking her head at Kusanagi. "Get it...quick..."  
  
Turning to look where she'd indicated, Kusanagi saw the little Aragami-melter protruding from behind the back wheels of the parked car it had landed under. He hesitated, then nodded to Momiji, deciding not to question this strange new ability of hers just then.  
  
"Right!"  
  
Leaping to his feet, he bolted across the street, diving beneath the car to reach for the device...  
  
Beads of sweat popped out on Momiji's forehead, and her outstretched hand began to tremble, then to shake, as she fought tooth and nail to keep the Aragami tendrils leashed.  
  
*Listen to me!* she cried desperately, no longer able to speak aloud, only thinking the words as hard as she could at the thing before her. *Don't you...dare...move!*  
  
Watching helplessly from the sidelines, Kunikida pressed his lips together, praying for strength for them all.  
  
Kusanagi's fingers brushed the metal casing of the machine, but it rolled further under the vehicle, drawing a choice string of cuss words from the mutant...  
  
A gasping cry of effort squeezed from Momiji, and her vision went blurry, then doubled, orbiting itself dizzily. Breathing in short gasps, she struggled not to vomit again, as her knees suddenly seemed to turn to water beneath her. She gritted her teeth and forced herself back into reality. She had to hold on...just a little longer...! The vines before her twitched, pulling loose from whatever grip she had on them.  
  
"Got it!" Kusanagi crowed, his hand closing around the device. At the same moment, the Aragami burst free, throwing a handful of thorny vines toward the distracted young man-  
  
*BOOM!* "Die, you bullying scum!!" Koume screamed, as a mighty explosion blossomed where the attacking vines had been, barely missing the mutant himself. Struggling out from under the car, Kusanagi lurched to his feet, just in time to spot another wave of vines coming in fast on his left, ready to slice him in half. Spinning to face them, he drew back his arm and flung the needle-tipped gadget with all his strength!  
  
It punched into the skin of the thing with an audible popping sound, instantly releasing the venom within it. For a heart-stopping moment, the vines continued their headlong rush toward the unprotected man...  
  
And then, so suddenly that it seemed almost unreal, a look of complete transparency rushed up along the body of the creature, which trembled for a moment like a drop of water on the end of a spout, and then collapsed into a rush of liquid that tumbled down the street in all directions like a miniature flash flood. Within a few moments it had run away into the gutters, leaving the street empty of everything but a few heaps of rubble-turned-mud and the shaken, filthy, yet still-living TAC.  
  
There was a long, frozen silence.  
  
Then, at the foot of his tree, Yaegashi stirred, opening his eyes to stare at the wreckage of the street. "Wha...what happened...?"  
  
The spell was broken. Koume dropped her gun where she stood and ran over to him, shouting and swearing and crying and laughing all at the same time. Kunikida and Takeuchi fell into each others' arms, gasping with relief. Across the street, Matsudera was also waking up, gazing around in appreciation at how well her idea had worked.  
  
A block away, Kusanagi strode toward Momiji's unmoving form, ignoring the twinge in his side from where he'd fallen on the sidewalk. "Momiji, that was incredible! How did you..."  
  
His voice trailed off as he saw her face. Momiji stared straight ahead, her eyes unfocused, pupils starkly black against the icy color of her face. She was so pale...and why was she breathing like that? In tiny, strangled gasps, as if something was choking her from within... Kusanagi felt a chill run up his back. He reached out to touch her face.  
  
"Momiji?"  
  
Somehow, his voice filtered through the rush of wind in Momiji's ears. At the moment the Aragami had broken free, it was as if someone had taken her world in a cup and upended it, sending her tumbling headfirst through the air, down and down and down...the street spun around her, and faded...faded, as she tried to hold on...  
  
"Kusanagi," she choked, and her legs folded beneath her, as she drifted ever so gently to the ground, like a flower cut neatly from its stem.  
  
*I...came...for you. I was...there....*  
  
The smile in her heart never reached her lips. And then there was nothing left to feel.  
  
  
________________________________________________  
  
  
AN- YAAAAY!!! My computer is finally fixed!!! It's been unable to log online since October, and now, at last, I fixed it! ^_^ Thank you, Jen, wherever you are! (Jen was the nice nice lady at MSN Tech Support who helped me out with the tough stuff. God bless her. ^_^) Anyway, in celebration, I hereby publish the long overdue third installment of Final Reaction! I hope you enjoyed it; please show your appreciation by reviewing, and join in the celebration! *~*^_____^*~* -Tobu Ishi 


	4. part 4

Final Reaction  
A Blue Seed Fic by Tobu Ishi  
  
Of course I don't own Blue Seed, you foolish copyright enforcer.  
  
  
-part 4-  
  
  
"It's her mitama," Matsudera whispered, her voice worn thin with emotion. "It's killing her."  
  
"What?!"  
  
The sentiment was echoed by everyone in the hospital hallway...and, since every member of the TAC, including Sakura, had turned up to check on Momiji's condition, all those 'what?!'s made quite a bit of noise. Several passing aides and patients gave them dirty looks; Koume gave them the finger in return, then turned her attention quickly to the young doctor who had allowed Matsudera into the test lab.  
  
"I'm afraid your friend has summed the situation up all too accurately," the doctor said, his eyes skimming the clipboard in his hands. "The alien tissue implant in her chest...a mitama, did you call it? According to our tests, it's been spreading through Miss Fujimiya's systems by way of spores carried by the bloodstream, and attempting to subvert her tissues to its own uses. I believe it may be performing the same function that its fellows have used on the various minor lifeforms that have been terrorizing our city in altered form...trying to turn Miss Fujimiya into one of its own."  
  
"But...what set it off just now, of all times?" Takeuchi blurted.  
  
The doctor shook his head. "From what your Miss Matsudera has been telling me, I don't think anything set it off. It's probably been doing this since it was first introduced into her body. Naturally, her immune systems have been fighting it off since then, but apparently it was a doomed battle...and she's about to lose."  
  
"Green roots..."  
  
"Huh?" Yagashi said, turning to stare at Kusanagi. "What's that supposed to mean?"  
  
Kusanagi looked as shocked as if he'd been slapped across the face. "This morning...I noticed that Momiji's hair was starting to grow green roots...but we thought it was a prank or something, so I didn't think about..." His voice, already halting, trailed off completely.  
  
Matsudera cast a shrewd eye at the mutant's own leaf-colored locks. "So," she said, nodding. "It's trying to make her like you, isn't it? A mutant. And somehow the process went wrong..."  
  
"I'm afraid we're not sure what caused the mutation process to backfire," the doctor said with a sigh. "All we can tell you is the results of that backfire...and they don't add up to a good outlook for the patient. Miss Fujimiya's respiratory system is closest to the site of implant, and so it has been the hardest hit of any part of her body. Due to her immune system's shielding reactions, mixed with the spores of the mitama itself, her lungs and trachea are slowly filling with a thick, saplike substance which we haven't had much success in removing. Frankly, she's suffocating. We've put her on an artificial lung, but..."  
  
"But what?" Mr. Kunikida asked anxiously.  
  
The doctor met his eyes honestly. "Sir, I'm truly sorry...but unless some miracle could...oh, I don't know, double or triple the patient's immunity, this is like bailing out a sinking boat with a teaspoon. Even if we do manage to find a way to keep her lungs clear, her other systems will succumb to the destructive effects of the spores one by one, and she will die."  
  
For a long, wordless moment, the soft bumps and murmurs of the hospital routine were all that could be heard. The young doctor flinched at the expressions of shocked disbelief on the TAC's faces.  
  
"I...really am sorry," he said, dropping his cold professional manner for a moment. Takeuchi heard a quiver of regret in his voice, and wondered how young he really was. "We did everything we could. Would you like to see her?"  
  
Mr. Kunikida hesitated, then glanced at his friends and comrades and nodded.  
  
"Yes, please."  
  
  
  
The soft, regular tone of a life support monitor and the steady hiss of a mechanical breather were the only sounds in the small hospital room. It wasn't as though there was no one there; it was simply that not one of the seven people ranged around the walls could think of anything to say.  
  
All the words in their hearts fell silent whenever they glanced at the still, pale figure that lay silent in the bed between them.  
  
Momiji looked like a ghost. The color was gone from her face; her hair lay limp on her pillow. The impersonal white hospital gown and sheets sucked away whatever life might have been left in her appearance, and none of them could look at the wires and tubes keeping her alive without wincing.  
  
Without the sound of the monitor to reassure them, they might have thought her already dead...  
  
It was Kusanagi who finally spoke, his voice raw with emotion.  
  
"This is my fault," he said, staring helplessly at his hands. "I knew she was sick. I should have told someone...should have watched her more closely-"  
  
Kunikida rested a hand on his shoulder, silencing him. "You didn't know how bad it was," he said, trying to comfort the guilt-wracked young man. "None of us could have known. We all spoke to her before she left the meeting yesterday, and none of us did anything-"  
  
"But it's not the same for you!" Kusanagi snapped, wrenching away from the older man's touch. "You aren't her protector, you're not the one she trusted with her life!" He saw the looks of alarm and even pity that the others were giving him, but he didn't care. Once again, his stupidity was killing a Kushinada...he was losing the one he loved all over again, and he had no one to blame but himself.  
  
Momiji's words of that morning wouldn't stop running through his head. 'I have to get to sleep...oh, and please don't tell Mr. Kunikida, he'll just worry about me...' And before that, her smiling face looking out the window at him: 'You know, Kusanagi, the title of "Mamoru" doesn't have to extend to a silly head cold.' If he'd just taken her illness more seriously, maybe this wouldn't have happened...maybe she would be here talking to him, happy and safe, instead of...of....  
  
Unknown to him, a single tear slipped down his dark cheek.  
  
Takeuchi saw it and bit her lip. "We were all supposed to protect her," she insisted.  
  
"But I let her down," he whispered. "I let you all down...and now it's too late."  
  
To his left, someone cleared her throat softly. Looking up, he saw Sakura's bespectacled face looking back at him. The blond miko set her chin stubbornly, gripping the arms of her chair with resolute hands.  
  
"Don't talk like that, Carrot-Boy," she said gruffly, not quite meeting his eyes. "If you don't believe in that dumb sacrifice girl's power, who will?"  
  
For a second, Kusanagi looked dumbstruck. Then his expression calmed.  
  
"You're right," he whispered, his voice quiet but full of resolve. "But...I don't know what to do..."  
  
A small smile flitted across her face. "Yeah, well, if I know this group, we'll think of something. And hey, if you need help, I can give it."  
  
"Sakura..." Takeuchi said, her voice amazed.  
  
Kunikida seemed just as thrown. "You're the last person I would expect to make an offer like that," he murmured.  
  
The miko shrugged, as if to say, 'what can you do'? "Heck, I guess I'd kinda miss her if she was gone. 'Sides, there'd be lots less to do around here, you know?"  
  
Beside her, Kusanagi pushed through the group, knowing all eyes had gone to him and not caring anymore. Taking a deep breath, he knelt beside Momiji's bed. "I'm sorry," he said, simply, reaching to take her hand. "I'll do whatever I can to help you...I promise."  
  
As his fingers touched hers, a sparkling light leapt from them. The flash was short and instantaneous, but Kusanagi leapt back, nearly falling over in his surprise.  
  
"What the-?"  
  
"What was that?!"  
  
"I don't get it-"  
  
The room filled with commotion-and then, one voice cut through it all.  
  
Matsudera's voice.  
  
"That's IT!"  
  
Leaping to her feet, the lady scientist crossed the room in three strides and was at Kusanagi's side, grabbing his hand and turning it so that the mitama on the back caught the light, tossing it back in a sparkle of blue.  
  
"Hey!" Kusanagi yelped, trying to pull away without knocking anyone else over in the crowded room. "What're you doing?"  
  
Matsudera's eyes were alight. "Kusanagi, you were implanted with mitama at a very young age, weren't you?"  
  
"Uh...y-yes, that's right..." the mutant stammered, very confused at this new turn of events. "But I-"  
  
"And you grew up intertwined with the mitama, right?"  
  
"Well, more or less-"  
  
"Perfect!" the scientist cried, letting go of his hand to grin in triumph. "I understand it now! Momiji was too old to be turned into a mutant; her body systems were already almost fully-grown and established when she was implanted! But you...you were just a baby when they got you. In the process of growing, you must have developed some sort of bond with them, something that lets you cope with their presence in your system!"  
  
"Um, yeah, that's why they call me a mutant," Kusanagi muttered. He had a sense that this was leading to something, but he couldn't quite figure out what...  
  
Kunikida looked thoughtful. "Hmm...so, that explains why she was able to command that Aragami back there. Kusanagi, you've been implanted with Orochi's mitama for so long that they've fused with you...but Momiji is still mostly separate from hers, so some of the old devil's power must have been left in it! And so, when their lives were in danger..."  
  
"Exactly," Matsudera agreed. "Anyway, since we've found from Momiji's case that the mitama spores travel through the bloodstream, your defense system must be there! In your blood! Or...sap...or whatever." Losing momentum for a moment, Matsudera caught herself and barreled onward. "So the solution's simple-we'll give Momiji a transfusion of your blood!"  
  
"What?!" The cry went up from around the room.  
  
Yaegashi frowned. "Are you sure it's really blood?"  
  
"It doesn't matter," the woman scientist said, waving her hands to emphasize the point. "If my guess is correct, whatever defenses you possess will be transferred temporarily into Momiji's body along with the borrowed...er...well, whatever. That should slow the expansion of her mitama down to the point where her body can cope with it and push it back again, at least for a while. Who knows, maybe her immune systems will even copy yours and give her a permanent defense!"  
  
Kusanagi's face was skeptical. "Matsudera, even I'm not sure what it is, and it's my own blood...what makes you think that it won't make her even worse?"  
  
"I don't know for sure," she admitted, "but it seems like our best chance. I think the bond between you two and your shared seeds might make it work in a way that a transfusion to someone else might not..." She glanced up at him then, her expression grim. "And if it does make her worse...well, what have we lost by trying?"  
  
Remembering the doctor's dark predictions, Kusanagi swallowed hard and nodded, getting to his feet. For a moment he hesitated, then walked to the door. Matsudera followed, as he shot a last look back at Momiji, then returned his gaze to the scientist.  
  
"Well, it looks like you're going to get to experiment on me after all," he said, his voice dark with irony. "Have fun, doc."  
  
________________________________________________  
  
  
AN- And there it is, folks; a ray of hope in a troubled story. ^_^ Will the transfusion work? Will Momiji die? Will Tobu Ishi ever get more than five reviews a chapter? *sniffs sadly* Who knows? One thing is certain--you need to review! Reeeeeeeeeviiiiiiiieeeeeewwww aaaaaaalllllllreaaaaaaaadyyyyyy!!! *takes a bow* Thank you. -Tobu Ishi 


	5. part 5

Final Reaction  
A Blue Seed Fic by Tobu Ishi  
  
Of course I don't own Blue Seed, you foolish copyright enforcer.  
  
-part 5-  
"What time is it?"  
  
Koume scowled in exasperation, glancing at her watch. "Eleven forty-nine, Yagashi. Four whole minutes later than the last time you asked. Now would you please stop it? You're giving me a headache."  
  
The tech sighed, squirming on the uncomfortable plastic hospital chair he'd been left with, since all the good seats in the room had been taken by people with more muscles than him, like Koume and Sakura...  
  
"Sorry, Koume...I just can't help wondering what's taking so long. It's been nearly four hours..."  
  
Although they weren't as vocal about it, everyone else in the room agreed with Yagashi. None of the TAC wanted to go home without seeing if the transfusion was going to work or not, but it had been a long day and they were practically falling asleep.   
  
Well, in Takeuchi and Sakura's cases, they actually had fallen asleep; none of the others had the heart to wake them up, despite the fact that Takeuchi had slumped sideways and was now, without realizing it, using Kunikida's shoulder as a pillow. Koume raised an eyebrow at her boss, who shrugged his free shoulder, as if to say, 'what do you expect me to do?'  
  
Another long, silent pause stretched through the room.  
  
"I hate to say it," Kunikida said quietly, breaking the silence, "but if something hasn't happened by midnight, I think we should all head home. We're not doing anyone any good by staying up all night, and if another Aragami shows up, we'll be-"  
  
He was cut off as the door flew open, admitting an exhausted-looking but obviously excited Matsudera, followed by Kusanagi and a young nurse.  
  
"It's ready!" the lady scientist crowed, nodding toward an IV bag full of pale green fluid, carried by the nurse. Kusanagi looked a bit pale himself, and had one sleeve still rolled up with a bandaid on his inner elbow, but seemed otherwise fine. A general sigh of relief went around the room as the nurse began hooking up the bag to a pole by Momiji's bed.  
  
Matsudera and Kusanagi took seats on the foot of the bed, being careful not to disturb its occupant. Across the room, Takeuchi had begun to stir, sitting up blearily.  
  
"Hmm? What's going on now?"  
  
The scientist smiled, obviously pleased. "Well, the hospital staff wanted to test Kusanagi's blood—turns out it is blood, more or less anyway, just very altered from its original genotype—to check for anything potentially poisonous or otherwise dangerous to Momiji, so that's why we took so long. But everything checks out, so they agreed to go ahead with the transfusion."  
  
"Good," Koume said firmly, shooting a glance at Momiji, who had been looking progressively worse over the course of the evening. "About time, too...she needs that stuff quick."  
  
Next to her, Yagashi was shaking the still-sleeping Sakura awake. "Hey! Sakura, wake up, it's happening!"  
  
"Mmmleggomee," Sakura slurred, blinking her eyes open reluctantly. She shoved Yagashi away, sitting up and pushing her long hair out of her face. "What now?"  
  
"Matsudera finished her tests," Kusanagi said. "What are you anyway, Rip Van Winkle?"  
  
"More like Sleeping Beauty," Sakura corrected him, shifting into a cross-legged position to give the Aragami lad a curious look. "Looks like you're still in one piece, more or less. Wasn't Matsudera gonna dissect you or something?"  
  
"Nah, they just needed to draw some blood," Kusanagi responded with a shrug and a faint grin. "Turns out Matsudera wasn't planning to pin me to cardboard or debone me like a chicken after all. I guess I shouldn't have been so worried."  
  
"Oh, don't worry, we'll get around to that next time," Matsudera said with a smile. Kusanagi snorted.  
  
"What next time?" he said, giving her a dark look. "This was for Momiji, that's all. I told you, I'm not a specimen up for study."  
  
Luckily, before that thread of conversation could go too far, the nurse got everyone's attention with a quick wave. "I've finished assembling the IV," she said, trotting over to hand Mr. Kunikida a sheaf of paper and a pencil. "Seeing as this procedure has never been tried before, as Miss Fujimiya's legal guardian we'd like you to sign here just in case."  
  
Kunikida signed without more than a cursory glance at the form. "I trust Mrs. Matsudera," he said firmly, handing the paper back. "Go ahead."  
  
"Right," the nurse said, and smiled. "Your organization saved my little sister from a spider Aragami once, you know. I'm rooting for your Momiji as much as anyone."  
  
Takeuchi smiled back. "Wonderful. We can use all the prayers we can get."  
  
It was the work of a minute to insert the IV needle into Momiji's arm and get the drip running. The young nurse left the room not long after, along with most of the TAC, who felt good enough about the procedure's chances of success to risk going home for some much-needed sleep.  
  
Kusanagi stayed behind; he didn't really have a home anyway, and there was no way he was leaving Momiji alone. Since this was something of a special case, the hospital had no problems with his presence after hours, although they continued to send in someone every hour or so to check on the patient's progress. However, even Kusanagi's impressive stamina had trouble coping with such late hours, and between that and the faint tired dizziness that the loss of blood had left him with, he finally dozed off in his chair...  
  
It was already the gray hours of very early morning when a soft sound woke him. Kusanagi was used to catnapping in unfamiliar places, so his current location didn't disorient him. Sitting up, he winced, feeling the soreness in his neck and shoulders from sleeping sitting up. Halfway through a stretch, he'd almost forgotten why he'd woken up when he heard the sound again, from his left. He turned toward the bed...  
  
He was just in time to see Momiji shift slightly, letting out a faint moan. It was the first sign of life he'd seen in her since she'd passed out the day before, and for a moment his heart leaped with relief-  
  
And then he realized the other thing that had disturbed his sleep; the steady beeping of the life-support monitor measuring Momiji's heartbeat was going wild, hammering out erratic rhythms that sped up and slowed down as unpredictably as a car with a bad transmission. Kusanagi leapt to his feet, grabbing Momiji's hand, but once more a bright flash of light leapt from their mitamas, and he let go again, blinking spots from his eyes, and ran to the door, throwing it open.  
  
"Hey! Something's wrong! Get some help in here quick!" he shouted into the hallway, not caring who might be sleeping. Somewhere he heard the beginnings of a commotion sparked by his words, but by then he had already dashed back to Momiji's side, looking helplessly around for something, anything to do. The girl's breathing was controlled by the tube in her throat, so it remained eerily steady despite her distress.  
  
She stirred again, her face twisting in an expression of such obvious pain that it caught Kusanagi's own breath in his throat. "Momiji..." he whispered, feeling frantic, useless; what was the point of his stupid mitamas, if they couldn't help him save her? What was the-  
  
His thoughts froze, as the whole thing came suddenly clear in his mind...and then without a moment's hesitation, he reached for Momiji's hand again. This time when the flash of light hit, he kept his grip on her fingers; he could just hear the fading sounds of the doctors rushing into the room, as the light filled his vision, then blotted it out entirely...  
When Kusanagi's mind coalesced back into something resembling himself, he was floating in a blank, bright white expanse. Then again, perhaps floating wasn't the best word, since he didn't seem to have a body. It was more like just...existing, without any particular physical tether to attach him to the solid half of the world. For some strange reason, he wasn't frightened. Maybe it was the utter peace of the place, so different from the tension back in Momiji's hospital room...  
  
Oh, that was right. He was trying to find Momiji. Glad to have remembered what he was doing here, Kusanagi started to...hmm. To what? How did you 'find' someone in a place like this? he wondered. If he'd had a face at the moment, he would have frowned. This was harder than he'd expected; but, frankly, he wasn't really sure what he'd expected anyway. Only that somehow his link with Momiji might help him to help her...  
  
(Kusanagi? Is that...you?)  
  
Well, that took care of that problem. The sense of Momiji's presence was instant, accompanying something more or less like a voice, although it echoed more in his soul than his ears. Of course, that was to be expected, considering that his ears were back with the rest of him in the hospital. What there was of him here leaped with joy.  
  
(Momiji!) he cried, wishing he could grab her hands...but then again, come to think of it, he was already doing that. (Oh, man, this is weird. Yes, it's me. Do you know what's going on? Where are we?)  
  
(Um...) She 'sounded' almost sheepish, but there was fear there too, just under the surface. (I'm not exactly sure...I've been here for a while, though. Ever since—)  
  
Suddenly her presence seemed to shatter, pieces flying everywhere for a moment in a sort of tactile scream before rushing back together into a coherent whole again.  
  
(What was that?!) Kusanagi yelped, shocked.  
  
(I...I'm not sure...) Momiji's mind-voice gasped, sounding shaky and pained, like an instrument with a broken string. (That's the third time it's happened, though. I don't get it! What's happening back there?)  
  
Kusanagi didn't have to ask what 'back there' meant. (Your mitama is messing with your body,) he replied quickly. (You're dying.)  
  
(I what?!) Momiji yelped, her presence flickering with alarm. (Mamoru Kusanagi, you've got to be joking with me!)  
  
(Sorry, kid,) he said. (No joke. We thought we'd figured out a way to cure you, but something isn't-)  
  
Before he could finish the thought, Momiji's presence trembled again, then blew apart. This time it seemed more violent and took much longer to reassemble, and Kusanagi was beginning to panic by the time Momiji's shaky 'voice' spoke up again.  
  
(My body,) she whispered. (It hurts...)  
  
(Hang on, Momiji!) Kusanagi pleaded, willing her to hold it together...literally. If she died now, after everything they'd been through...no, she couldn't! Without quite knowing what he was doing, he willed every ounce of his consciousness into keeping her in one piece. Momiji shivered uncontrollably, her presence wavering... (Please, don't let go!)  
  
(But...it hurts...) she repeated, her voice a whimper. Kusanagi wished he had teeth to grit.  
  
(I don't care!) he snapped, struggling to hold on to her somehow. (You're a tough kid, Momiji! You can't let this get to you!)  
  
Momiji's presence shuddered again, and he felt it start to splinter...  
  
And then, with a titanic effort, Kusanagi reached out with his own soul and wrapped it around hers, keeping her alive with sheer force of will. The last few days had left her so weak; she felt as fragile as crystal, and he somehow knew for a fact that if he let her go, this time she wouldn't be able to pull herself back together.  
  
(Kusanagi, don't!) Momiji cried in alarm, as the rifts in her fading soul began to force their way into his. (You'll kill us both! Stop it!)  
  
(No way,) he gasped, feeling himself starting to fade with her but not caring. (I'm not gonna keep living knowing I let you die!)  
  
Her voice was a whisper. (Kusanagi...)  
  
The cracks widened, and his strength wavered, breaking-  
  
And then, suddenly, strength surged up from the fragile soul in his embrace, shoring up the fractures in his power. This was something new, not as raw as the sheer strength he'd been using, but somehow stronger. Love, he realized, amazed. This incredible power that she was pouring out on him...was love.  
  
(It's one thing...if I...die,) Momiji gritted out, throwing her last reserves into their bond, (but you are not...going down...if I can...help it!)  
  
It was just enough; Kusanagi felt his soul recharging with Momiji's sudden gift of strength, opening hidden reserves in him that he'd never known he had. For a second, he blazed with power like a newly charged electric light, and then the charge spilled over, running swiftly down invisible channels, healing broken tissue, searing the damp from tired lungs. In that overwhelming moment they clung to each other, light swirling all around them, nearly swept away in the tide of healing they'd inadvertently unleashed.  
  
And then, it was done; there was a final crash of thunder, and the world fell silent.  
  
________________________________________________  
  
AN- Well, it took me four months, but I'm finally going to be posting the conclusion to Final Reaction. I do have an excuse, though...this fic was stored on a floppy, and I kinda lost the floppy...but I found it again yesterday! (Actually my dad did.) So if you want to send him your happy thanks, please review and tell me so...I'll pass them on! ^_~ Yatta! -Tobu Ishi T_T 


	6. part 6

Final Reaction  
A Blue Seed Fic by Tobu Ishi  
  
Of course I don't own Blue Seed, you foolish copyright enforcer.  
  
-part 6-  
  
Kusanagi let the sensations of the world come back slowly, filtering back into place. Someone was talking...no, lots of someones, their words tumbling over each other like spring rain. A warm hand held his, and he gave its fingers a gentle squeeze, and opened his eyes.  
  
"...don't know what to make of it! Her entire body is just...look, he's awake!"  
  
It was the nurse, and she seemed to be bordering on delighted hysteria. Blinking dizzily, Kusanagi looked slowly around. He was sitting in a chair now; someone must have helped him into it while he was, well, busy elsewhere. Not just the TAC, but what seemed like half the hospital was gathered around the bed, all staring at him as though he'd grown a second nose.  
  
"What the frag just happened?!" Koume bellowed from across the room. "First we all get an emergency call that she," the loudmouthed girl gestured at the bed, "is giving up the ghost, and then when we get here, everybody's in an uproar and you two are lying there glowing like flashlights! What gives?!"  
  
"I quite agree, Kusanagi," Yagashi exclaimed, pushing up his glasses from where they'd slipped down his nose in the excitement. "We all deserve an explanation. You both nearly scared us to death!"  
  
"And how did you do it, anyway?" Matsudera demanded, her eyes alight with curiosity.  
  
"D-do what?" Kusanagi stammered, still disoriented and now completely befuddled from all the noise and attention. Over his shoulder, he saw more people elbowing their way into the room.  
  
"Momiji, you moron!" Sakura yelled, grinning, one fist waving in the air in a gesture of triumph. "She's cured! I knew you could do it!"  
  
It was all too much. "What...?"  
  
"All right, everyone just shut UP!!"  
  
The room fell silent. Everyone in it turned to stare at the imposing figure of Mr. Kunikida, who had leapt to his feet beside Momiji's bed. Giving the room a stern glare, he pointed to the door.  
  
"Right. Now then, everyone who's not a member of the TAC or directly caring for Miss Fujimiya, get out, now!"  
  
Most of the people in the room dashed meekly for the door. Kunikida could be scary when he wanted to. Once they were gone, those who were left breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Thanks," the young doctor said, moving to stand beside the chief of the TAC. "All other worries aside, I was beginning to think the fire warden would kill me for letting so many people get into one room."  
  
"No problem," Kunikida said. "Now then, Kusanagi, would you mind telling us all what just happened?"  
  
The young mutant shrugged, puzzled. "Frankly, I'm not sure myself," he said slowly, thinking back. "I woke up, and Momiji's monitors were going nuts, so I grabbed her hand, and...you know those flashes of light we kept giving off whenever we touched? I just kept holding on this time..."  
  
"Yeah, you guys were lit up like a neon sign when I came in," Koume exclaimed.  
  
"It was like this...out of body experience or something," Kusanagi murmured. "She kept breaking up, so I held on to her...it wasn't like holding something physical, it was more...oh, I don't know! It was weird. And then..." He trailed off, reluctant to talk about the moment they'd shared, just before he'd woken up. It had felt like their souls had merged, just for an instant...  
  
"I think I have a theory." Yagashi was adjusting his glasses proudly. "Your mitama come from the same source, right? But Momiji's is still relatively wild, whereas yours are tame. Her mitama was trying to destroy or change her, but you didn't want that to happen, and unlike her, you have the ability to force your mitama to do as you wish, to a certain extent anyway. So when you wanted her mitama to stop hurting her, you divided Orochi's mitama against themselves, yours against hers.  
  
"I think that might explain the strange reaction you caused whenever you touched her. Your mitama were sparking against each other in their conflicting wills!"  
  
Matsudera's eyes had lit up. "And when you tried to save her, perhaps your mitama finally overpowered hers! That would explain the healing effects on her body."  
  
"Wait a minute...healing effects?" Kusanagi blurted.  
  
Sakura grinned. "Look at the monitors, Carrot Boy. She's perfectly normal again!"  
  
Kusanagi whirled to stare at the machines recording Momiji's vital signs. Just as Sakura said, every one of them was safely into the green.  
  
Takeuchi was still thinking over Matsudera's words. "But, if you defeated Momiji's mitama's will to change her," she said, sounding excited, "then that means..."  
  
Matsudera smiled broadly. "It means that, if our guesses are correct, Momiji's mitama will now no longer be able to hurt her. It'll be under her control, just the way Kusanagi's are."  
  
"And she won't even have to turn into a mutant the way Kusanagi did!" Sakura gloated. "That's a relief. If they ended up a matched pair, I'd never have a chance with him! Ne, Carrot Boy?"  
  
Laughter sounded around the room, an incredible relief after the pain and sorrow of the last twenty-four hours. And in the midst of it, there was a soft sound from the bed.  
  
"Nnn...Kusa...nagi?"  
  
All eyes turned instantly to Momiji. The girl was sitting up, slowly but without any struggle. Rubbing her eyes sleepily with her fists, she blinked owlishly at them all.  
  
"What happened?" she said, her voice a bit woozy but otherwise perfectly normal.  
  
There was a split second's pause, and then Momiji found herself in the middle of a pileup of TAC members, all trying to hug her at once. Both Takeuchi and—to her surprise—Koume were crying hysterically. Yagashi was yelling something delighted and unintelligible; Sakura stood diffidently off to the side, but anyone bothering to look closely at her otherwise apathetic expression would have seen a slight glimmering at the corners of her eyes. Even Kunikida was patting her shoulder with one hand, and wiping his eyes with the other.  
  
Then, suddenly, everyone fell silent; Momiji didn't have long to wonder why. Pushing through the pigpile, Kusanagi sat quietly on the edge of her bed, and took both her hands in his, meeting her eyes with his own intense gaze.  
  
"Momiji, I..." He paused, swallowed hard, then managed, gruffly, "I thought you were...I thought I might... Well, I, um, don't know what I would have done if...you know..."  
  
Momiji's eyes filled with tears of her own. She wrapped her arms around his neck, smiling broadly. "I know," she said, simply. "Me too."  
  
Kusanagi's nervous expression cleared, and he leaned in, gently pressing his lips to hers.  
  
A chorus of cheers went up from the assembled TAC, and Sakura grinned, expecting the couple to spring apart, blushing in embarrassment. Instead, to her surprise, Momiji's arms tightened around Kusanagi's neck, and they kept right on kissing.  
  
Grumbling to herself, Sakura crossed her arms and gazed out the window.  
  
"Damn...I guess I should have guessed. They're already a matched pair, after all."  
  
And, for once in her life, she couldn't have been more right.  
*~finis~*  
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AN- Heh...I was reluctant to post this, cuz I know as soon as the last burst of reviews from the last chapter is over, the fic drops out of the public eye. But I couldn't leave you guys in suspense forever. I hope it wasn't too mushy or anything...and hey, what do you know, I finished a fic! One less to worry about... ^_^  
  
A million, billion thanks to all of you who kept me going during the writing of this fic! If you ever start having Tobu withdrawals, by all means, drop by my account and glance at a few of my other fics. There's an award-winning filk on there, as well as a lot of Inuyasha and Final Fantasy stuff. Again, kudos, and good night! -Tobu Ishi T_T 1:30 am 


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